Air cleaner



Sept. 6, 1932.

G. M. WALTON AIR CLEANER Filed Feb. 24. 1931 INVENTOR fo/PazM M1. ro/v ATTORNEYS Patented. Sept. '6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE M. WALTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO AIR MAZE CORPORATION, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE Am CLEANER Application flied February 24,1931. Serial No. 517,718.

This invention relates to air cleaners for serving internal combustion engines by removing solids from the air of combustlon induced thereinto. The type of cleaner contemplated by theinvention is one wherein a liquid covered screening is employed to provide an air maze, and wherein the air to be cleaned is also caused to impinge upon other wet surfaces including liquid surfaces during its passage through the cleaner.

Such general described type of cleaner is not broadly new.

The principal application of such cleaner, however, is in the automotive field wherein .15 the tendency is toward one or the other of two carburetion arrangements known as'downdraft'and updraft respectively. In my copending application, Serial No. 511,288, filed January 26, 1931, is set forth' such an air cleaner having an upwardly directed clean "air .outlet and consequently particularly adapted for connection with an updraft carburetion system.

The present invention has to do with the provision of an air cleaner of the class 'described having a downwardly directed air outlet and consequently adapted for use in a downdraft carburetor arrangement. It is desirable from both manufacturing and operating standpoints that the parts of the; de

vice be of cylindrical order and preferably concentrically arrangedin so far as possible, and the object of this invention is to fulfill these requirements in a novel manner.

The exact nature of this invention together with further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following descrip tion taken in connection with the accompany ing drawing, which is a sectional elevation'of an embodiment of the inventon illustrative thereof, wherein is indicated in dot dash lines the air inlet opening upon which the device is mounted.

With reference now to the drawing, 1 is the tubular frame member having its lower end adapted for connection with the air inlet end 2 of the carburetion device or equivalent conduit structure. Such connection is here shown as by insertion of the frame member 50 within the mouth of'the member 2. At the upper end of the frame member is provided a splder 3 extending thereabove with its legs arched thereoverto provide openings 4 leading into the hollow of the frame member.

About the frame member is positioned a lower casing member 5 which may have an inner wall 6 forming a well fitting about the frame member, an outer wall 7 preferably concentric therewith, and a bottom wall 8 connecting the vertical walls 6-and 7, joining the latter with curvature of large radius as indicated, and resting upon the flange 9 provided on the framemember 1. Thus the lower casing member opens upwardly and provides an annular liquid container. A head 10 may be provided in the wall 7 to indicate the proper liquid level. 7

An upper housing member 11 is also provided, having the central opening indicated so that it may be removably secured for support upon the spider 3 as by a thumb screw 12. This upper housing member 11 has a cylindrical side'wall 13 extending downwardly within the lower housing member 5 and terminating above the liquid level therein as indicated. It' also is flared out at its upper peripheral extremity as at 14 to provide a shoulder overhanging the upper extremity of the side wall 7 of the lower casing member. Thus passage into the chamber of the inner housing member will be laterally inwardly, immediately beneath the shoulder 14, downwardly through the annular passage 15 between the side walls 13 and 7 of the two casing members, against the surface 16 of liquid 17 which may be in the lower casing member, thence upwardly and inwardly. Air maze filtermeans 18 is secured with the upper casing member 11. This filter means is of metal having numerous minute perforations and is here indicated as comprising a cylindricalroll of wire mesh screen of such length that the resulting cylinder will have a plurality of layers of the roller material. The, cylinder is permanently secured with the upper housing member 11, in concentric relation with the other parts as by means of a star washer 19 engaging the innermost convolution of the screen and in turn riveted asat, 20. The lower extremity of 100 the air maze extends below the level of the liquid in the lower casing member 5 so that an annular passage 21 leads upwardly within the upper casing member 11 outside of the air maze cylinder. The lower mouth of the c linder is closed by a flange 22 fitting about t 1e inner wall 6 of the lower casing member and there positioned as by a bead 23. Thus a chamber 24 is provided within the air maze cylinder, having inlet only by way of the air maze perforations, and having outlet through the frame member 1 by way of the openings 4 in the spider 3.

In operation the motion of the parts as due to travel of the vehicle or vibration of its engine will cause the liquid 17, which may be oil, to be slopped about. Aided by the curvature at the lower peri heral wall of the lower casing member, t e liquid will maintain the opposite walls of the annular passage 15 wet. Likewise, oil will be splashed upwardly upon the air maze cylinder.

Thus air entering the carburetion device must first pass downwardly through the annular passage 15 having closely spaced wet walls, these walls collecting any solid impurities which come in contact with their wet surfaces. Flow through the passa e 15 is directed onto the surface 16 of the liquid so that more impurities are received directly into the liquid and there retained. Thereafter the air makes a return bend travelling upwardly into the passage 21; and then through the wet air maze where substantially all of the remaining solids are removed from the air. Thence the clean air passes from the chamber 24 inwardly through the openings 4 and downwardly through the member 1 and eventually to the carburetor. The slopping and splashing of the liquid 17 constantly washes the wet parts, washing therefrom the collected solids, and keeping them surfaced with clean liquid. The flange 22 may be perforated as at 25 to allow drainage from the air maze cylinder.

Before putting the device into service the air maze cylinder must be wet, and when in service this cylinder must occasionally be cleaned as by dipping in a. wash bath. This is easily accomplished by removing the thumb screw 12 whereupon the upper casing member 11 together with the open bot-tom air maze cylinder are removable as a unit for the purpose, the flange 22 remaining with the lower casing member 5. After removal of the upper casing member, the lower casing member may be removed simply by lifting it off the central frame member 1. Thus the accumulation of sludge within the lower casing member may be disposed of and fresh liquid substituted.

The mounting of the frame member 1 may thus be of a permanent nature so that when the parts are assembled, the device will comprise a unit rigid with the engine served.

The shoulder 14 keeps foreign matter from following into the upper mouth of the annular passage 15. Since this assage is annular and peripheral of the evice it may be quite narrow and thus eflicient in collecting solids yet of ample sectional area to prevent restriction of air flow. It will be noted that the thumb screw 12 is the key to the entire assembly, the relation of all of the parts being maintained thereby.

The entire arrangement is such that all of the parts may be circular in transverse section and thus inexpensively manufactured. The relation of the parts may preferably be concentric as shown, although it will be evident that the frame 1 may be eccentrically arranged where clearance requirements make this necessary.

What I claim is:

1. In an air cleaner of the class described, a tubular frame member having a downwardly opening mouth portion adapted for connection with the air inlet of a carburetion device, a lower casing member having a central well portion fitting about said frame member, and providing a liquid container thereabout opening upwardly, an upper casing member carried by said frame member and opening downwardly within the lower casing member, and air maze filter means arranged within the upper casing member about said frame member and extending below the liquid level of the lower casing member, said well portion of said lower casin member having a flange arranged to close t e bottom of said air maze filter.

2. In an air cleaner of the class described, a tubular frame member havin a downwardly opening mouth portion a apted for connection with the air inlet of a carburetion device, an upper casing member having a downwardly opening mouth, disposed as a canopy over and about said frame member, means securing the parts in such relationship and providing communication between the hollows thereof, a lower casing member associated with said frame member to provide a liquid container therabout, and having a mouth opening upwardly about and in spaced relation with that of said upper casing member to provide an annular inlet passage, and air maze filter means arranged about said frame member and extending therealong in spaced relation therewith within both said casing members. I

3. In an air cleaner of the class described, a tubular frame member. having a downwardly opening mouth portion adapted for connection with the air inlet of a carburetion device, an upper casing member having a downwardly opening mouth, disposed as a canopy over and about said frame member, means securing the parts in such relationship and providin communication between the hollows thereo said means comprising a spider upstanding from the upper end of said frame member, a lower casing me ber associated with said frame member to provide a liquid container thereabout, and having a mouth opening upwardly about and in spaced relation with that of said upper casing member to provide an annular inlet passage, and air maze filter means arranged about said frame member and extending therealong in spaced relation therewith within both said casing members.

4. In an air cleaner of the class described, a tubular frame member having a downwardly opening mouth portion ada ted for connection with the air inlet of a car uretion device, an upper casing member having a downwardly opening mouth, disposed as a canopy over and about said frame member, means securing the parts in such relationship and providing communication between the hollows thereof, a lower casing member associated with said frame member to provide a li pl1id container thereabout, having a moutopening upwardly and in spaced relation with that of said upper casing member to provide an annular inlet passage, and having an upstandin well portion fitting about said frame mem er, and air maze filter means arranged about said frame member and extending therealong in spaced relation therewith within both said casing members.

5. In an air cleaner of the class described, a tubular frame member having a downwardly opening mouth portion ada ted for connection with the air inlet of a car uretion device, an upper casing member having a downwardly opening mouth, disposed as a canopy over and about said frame member, means securing the parts in such relationship and providin communication between the hollows thereo a lower casing member associated with said frame member to. rovidea liquid container thereabout, and aving a mouth. opening upwardly about and in spaced relation with that of said upper casing member to provide an annular inlet passage, and air maze filter means of cylindrical form secured at its upper end with the upper extremity of said upper casing member and extending downward y therefrom about and alongv said frame member and spaced relation with the latter, within sai lower casing member.

6. In an air cleaner of the class described, a tubular frame member having a downwardly opening mouth portion adapted for connectlon with the air inlet of a carburetion device, an upper casing member having a downwardly opening mouth, disposed as a canopy over and about said frame member, means securing the parts in such relationship and providing communication between the hollows thereof, a lower casing member assov signature.

- GEORGE M. WALTON. 

